The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-07-31

| tory some on the gulf, some in the Cumber-
land hills, some on the Atlantic sea board
| Their dead are far widely spread than
Webster boasts the bones OF the Massachusetts
revolutionary troops were
LINCOLN'S COOPER INSTITUTE SPEECH.
An Account of Event Which Had an I'm
portant Effect Upon the Speakers Future.
Condensed from August Century.
Among the many invitations to deliver ad-
dresses which Lincoln received in the fall of
1859, one from committee asking him 10
lecture in Plymouth Church, Brooklyn. in a
course then in progress there, designed for pop
ular entertainment. II wrote" said Lincoln,
''that could do it il February provided they
would take a political speech. if l could find
time to get up no other" 'Your letter wa
duly received and handed over to the commit
tee," was the response. land they accept your
compromise. You may lecture at the time you
mention. and they will pay you 5000. I think
they will arrange for a lecture in New York also,
and pay you $500 for that"
Financial obstacles. or other reasons, brought
about the transfer of the engagement to
committee and the invitation was repeated in
new form:
"The Young Mems Central Republican Union
of this city New York; very earnestly desire
that you should deliver what may term
political lecture during the ensuing month.
The peculiarities of the case are these: A series
of lectures has been determined upon. TIE first
was delivered by Mr.. Blair, of ST Louis a short
time ago; the second will be in few days, by
Mr. Cassius NJ. Clay, and the third would
prefer to have from you rather than any other
person. OF the audience should add that it is
that of ordinary political meeting
These lectures have been contrived to call out
our better, but buster, citizens who never attend
political meetings large part of the audience
will also consist OF ladies'"
Lincoln however, remained under the impress
sion that the lecture was TO be given IN Brook
Ign, and only learned after he reached New
York to fulfill his engagement that he to
speak in the Cooper Institute. When, the
evening of Feb. q, 1860 he stood before his
audience. he saw not only well-filled house,
but an assemblage of listeners in which were
many whom, by reason of his own modest esti-
mate of himself, he would have been rather in
clned to ask advice from than to offer instruc-
ton to. William Cullent Bryant presided over
the meeting; David Dudley Field escorted the
speaker to the platforms; Ex-Governor
Cephas Brainerd, Charles c. Mott. Hiram Bar
ney and others sat among the invited guests.
"Since the days of Clay and Webster" said the
Tribune next morning, mo man has spoken to
a larger assem- age of the intellect and mental
culture of our city" OF course, the presence of
such gathering was mere accident Not
only had Lincoln's name for nearly two years
found constant mention in the newspapers, but
both friendly and hostile comment had coupled
1t with the two ranking political leaders IN the
free States-Seward and Douglas. The repre-
sentative men of New York were naturally
eager to and hear who, by
whatever force of eloquence or ar
gument had attracted large share of the
public attention. We may also fairly infer
that on his part, Lincoln was no less curious to
test the effect of his words audience more
learned and critical than those collected in the
open-air meetings of his Western campaigns
This mutual interest was an evident advantage
to both; it secured close attention from the
house, and insured deliberation and emphasis by
the speaker enabling him to develop his argu-
ment with perfect precision and unity, reaching
perhaps the happest general effect ever attained
in any one of his long addresses.
If any part of the audience came with the ex-
pectation of hearing the rhetorical fireworks of |
Western stump-speaker of the "half-horse,
half alligator" variety, they met novelty of an
nnlook ed for kind In Lincoln's entire address
he neither introduced an anecdote nor essayed |
wltticism; and the first half of 1t does not
tain illustrative figure poetical |
fancy. 1t was the quiet. searching exposition |
of the historian and the terse, compact reason
ing of the statesman about an abstract principle |
of legislation, In language well-nigh as |
restrained and colorless he would have
ployed in arguing before a court. |
Y ct such the apt choice of words the easy /
precision OF sentences the simple strength of |
propositions, the fairness of every point he
sumed. and the force of every conclusion he |
drew. that his listeners followed him with the |
interest and deli ght child feels in its easy
mastery of plain sum in arithmetic.
The smiles, the laughter. the outbursts of ap-
plause which greeted and emphasized the
speakers telling points. showed Mr.. Lincoln that
his arguments met with aeady acceptance. The
next morning the four leading New York daies
printed the speech in full. and bore warm testi-
mony to its merit and effect.
''Mr. Lincoln is one of natures orators" said
the Tribune. using his power solely to
elucidate and convince, though their inevitable
effect is to delight aud electrify well We pre-
sent herewith very full and accurate report of
this speech yet the tones the gestures, the
kindling eye and the lnirth- provoking look defy
the reporters skill The vast assemblage fire.
queutly rang with cheers and shouts of applause,
which were prolonged and intensified at the
close. No man ever before made such i'm
preston on his first appeal to a New York audi
ence.o
pamphlet reprint was at announced by
the same paper; and later, in the presidential
campaign, careful edition prepared
and circulated, to which were added copious
notes by two members of the committee under
whose auspices the address delivered
Their comment, printed in the preface, is worth
quoting showing its literary value under
critical analysis
mo one VINO has not actually attempted to
verify its details can understand the patient
search and historical labor which it embodies.
The history of earlier politics is scattered
through numerous journals statutes, pamphlets
and letters; and these are defective in complete
and tables of contents Neither anyone
who has not travelled this precise
ground appreciate the accuracy of every
tia,H detail Which ssfdsnying Impair
turned from the testimony of the fathers on
the general question of slav cry. to present the
single question which he discusses. From the
first line TO the last, from his premises to his
drectness which logician ever excelled an
complete and full, without the afec-
tatlon' of learning, and without the stiffness
which usually accompanies dates and details.
A single. easy, simple sentence of plain Anglo
Saxon words contains chapter of history that
has taken days Of labor to verify"